Amparo Muñoz was a Spanish actress, model and beauty queen who won the Miss Universe 1974 competition in Manila, Philippines, being the first and only Spaniard Miss Universe titleholder to date. However, her reign was short-lived and controversial, as she surrendered both the title and crown after six months due to refusal to follow the rules and regulations of the Miss Universe Organization. She then pursued a career in cinema, but faced many personal and professional challenges that tarnished her image and health. She died on 27 February 2011 at the age of 56, due to cerebral aneurysm complications. Her life was a mixture of glamour and tragedy, success and failure, love and pain.
The Rise and Fall of a Beauty Queen
Amparo Muñoz was born on 21 June 1954 in Vélez-Málaga, a town in Andalusia, where she had won the city title. She came from a humble family of a blacksmith father and a housewife mother. She was the firstborn child among six children. Her godparents helped raise her at age seven due to their family’s poverty. After finishing high school, she worked as an administrative office assistant for “The Southern” local newspaper in Málaga. The gay male director of the newspaper agency strongly encouraged Muñoz to enter the beauty contest, “El Certamen de Belleza de Costa del Sol” (English: Miss Sun Coast Beauty Contest) which gained her an entry sash to participate and won in the 1973 Miss Spain contest in Lanzarote city.
After winning Miss Spain, she went on to win the Miss Universe 1974 pageant in Manila, Philippines. She was crowned by Margie Moran of the Philippines, who was the previous winner. Amparo Muñoz dazzled the judges and the audience with her light brown hair, green eyes and stunning figure. She also impressed them with her intelligence and charisma. She was the first and only Spanish woman to win the coveted title of Miss Universe.
However, her happiness did not last long. According to her Filipina translator, Pilar Abesraturi Aldanese, she was homesick for her family and existing lover in Spain at the time. She also felt uncomfortable with the demands and obligations of the Miss Universe Organization, which included traveling around the world, attending events and promoting products. She claimed that she received indecent proposals from powerful men who wanted to exploit her beauty and fame. She also said that she was bored of being an “object woman” who had no voice or opinion.
By the six month after winning, she declined to participate in the New York Parade with American actors Robert de Niro and Al Pacino. Remaining in Malaga, she chose to stay with personal friends and later gave up her crown after she refused her upcoming travel assignment to Japan. At times, she even threw her crown against a wall and down in the balcony window, which often required jewel repair. Nevertheless, the Miss Universe Organization insisted that Muñoz would remain as the official titleholder of Miss Universe 1974, since the title was not offered to first runner-up Miss Wales Helen Elizabeth Morgan – who eventually won Miss World 1974 and was herself ultimately dethroned a few days after winning the said crown.
The Struggle of an Actress
After her shortened reign, Muñoz decided to pursue her passion for acting. She enrolled in Cristina Rota’s school of drama in Madrid, where she studied with renowned actors such as Antonio Banderas and Carmen Maura. She soon became a popular actress in Spain and starred in several comedies, including Mama Turns 100 (1979), directed by Carlos Saura, and in the dramas Clara es el Precio (1975), directed by Vicente Aranda, The Other Bedroom (1976), directed by Eloy de la Iglesia, and Dedicatory (1980), directed by Jaime Chávarri.
She also worked with other prominent directors such as José Antonio Nieves Conde, Juan Bosch, Javier Aguirre, Antonio Giménez Rico, Felipe Cazals, Antonio Artero, Pilar Miró, Fernando Méndez-Leite, Jaime Camino, Emilio Martínez Lázaro, Imanol Uribe, and Fernando León de Aranoa. She appeared in more than 50 films and TV shows throughout her career.
However, her personal life was often shrouded in notorious events and public controversies. She had several romantic relationships with famous men such as singer Patxi Andión (whom she married in 1976 and divorced in 1983), producer Elías Querejeta (who was married at the time), actor José Coronado (who was much younger than her), writer Manuel Vicent (who dedicated a novel to her), and painter Antonio López (who painted her portrait). She also suffered from domestic violence, drug addiction, depression, and financial problems. She admitted that she had experimented with heroin and cocaine in the 1980s, and that she had been a victim of ill-treatment by some of her partners.
She also faced legal issues, such as being accused of fraud by a former manager, being sued by a plastic surgeon for unpaid bills, and being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. She also had conflicts with some of her colleagues and friends, such as actress Ana Belén (who allegedly stole her role in The South (1983)), director Pedro Almodóvar (who criticized her performance in Lulú of the Night (1986)), and journalist Jaime Peñafiel (who revealed her intimate secrets in a book).
The End of a Star
In the 1990s, Muñoz moved to Mexico, where she continued working as an actress in films such as The Seven Cuckoos (1992), directed by Felipe Cazals, and in TV shows such as Cuentos de Borges (1993) and Terra de canons (1999). She also participated in theater plays such as Sabbath (1989) and Vida privada (1987). She tried to rebuild her life and image, but she still faced difficulties and rumors.
Returning to Spain in 1996, growing tabloid newspaper accusations of prostitution, mental depression, drug addiction, Parkinson’s Disease, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus coupled with poverty and melancholia ravaged Muñoz’ public image, along with the physical decrepitude allegedly causing emotional shame and her imminent withdrawal from society. Of Muñoz, it was even said that she had HIV. However, she denied these allegations and said that she suffered from a cerebral disease, not AIDS, a few years ago.
In 2006, she published her autobiography titled La vida es el precio (English: Life is the Price), where she revealed many aspects of her personal and professional journey. She also expressed her regrets and hopes for the future. She said that she wanted to be remembered as an actress, not as a beauty queen. She also said that she wanted to be a mother and have a family.
However, her health deteriorated rapidly in the following years. She suffered from a stroke and a brain tumor that affected her speech and mobility. She was hospitalized several times and underwent surgery. She spent her last years in her parents’ home in Málaga, where she received the care and support of her family and some friends. She died on 27 February 2011 at the age of 56. Her death was announced by her brother Pedro Muñoz on his Facebook page. He wrote: “My sister Amparo has left us forever. A great woman who fought against everything and everyone until the end.” Her funeral was held at the Roman Catholic cemetery of Saint Michael in Málaga, where she was cremated and buried.
Amparo Muñoz was a woman who lived intensely and passionately. She achieved fame and glory as a beauty queen and an actress, but she also faced adversity and suffering as a human being. She was loved and admired by many, but also criticized and vilified by others. She was a star that shone brightly, but also faded away too soon.
